Reported by Mr. Kerry,
with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble

Strike out all after the resolving clause and
insert the part printed in italic

Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in
italic

RESOLUTION

Encouraging women’s political participation
in Saudi Arabia.

Whereas, on September 22, 2011,
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold its first nationwide municipal
elections since 2005, with voter registration open as of April 23, 2011;

Whereas the Government of Saudi
Arabia has announced—as it did in 2005—that women will be unable to run for
elective office or vote;

Whereas, on March 28, 2011,
president of the general committee for the election of municipal council
members Abd al-Rahman Dahmash stated, We are not prepared for the
participation of women in the municipal elections now.;

Whereas Foreign Minister of Saudi
Arabia Prince Saud Al Faisal stated in an interview after the 2005 election
that he assumed women would be allowed to vote in future elections, and that
this would benefit the election process because women were “more sensible
voters than men”;

Whereas the decision by the
Government of Saudi Arabia to continue to disenfranchise women in the September
2011 municipal elections is inconsistent with a series of commitments made by
the Government of Saudi Arabia;

Whereas, in January 2003, Saudi
Arabia proposed to the League of Arab States the “Covenant for Arab Reform,”
resulting in the adoption of the “Tunis Declaration” at the May 2004 Arab
Summit, which declared, among other things, a “firm determination” to “pursue
reform and modernization” by “widening women’s participation in the political,
economic, social, cultural and educational fields”;

Whereas these declarations were
reaffirmed at the Arab Summit in Algiers on March 23, 2005, and at the Riyadh
Summit held in Saudi Arabia on March 28, 2007;

Whereas, in April 2009, Saudi
Arabia ratified the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which states in article
24(3), “Every citizen has the right … to stand for election or choose his
representatives in free and impartial elections, in conditions of equality
among all citizens that guarantee the free expression of his will.”;

Whereas, on June 10, 2009, the
Government of Saudi Arabia accepted the majority of the recommendations put
forward by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the
Universal Periodic Review including to “[a]bolish all legislation, measures and
practices that discriminate against women … In particular, to abolish
legislation and practices which prevent women from participating fully in
society on an equal basis with men,” and to “end the strict system of male
guardianship and give full legal identity to Saudi women”;

Whereas the Government of Saudi
Arabia has indicated that it is supportive of the human rights of women;

Whereas, in November 2010, Saudi
Arabia was elected to the Executive Board of UN Women, emphasizing the
commitment of the Government of Saudi Arabia to the rights of women;

Whereas ‘Abd al-Rahman Dahmash,
the president of the general committee for the election of municipal council
members, has stated that Saudi women will be granted the right to vote in the
next municipal elections scheduled to be held in 2015; and

Whereas, while the United States
Government acknowledges the deep cultural and religious traditions and
sentiments within Saudi society, without the right to vote on par with men,
women in Saudi Arabia are denied not only a fundamental human right but also
the ability to contribute fully to the economic development, modernization, and
prosperity of their own country: Now, therefore, be it

Whereas,
on September 29, 2011, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold its
first nationwide municipal elections since 2005;

Whereas
the Government of Saudi Arabia has announced—as it did in 2005—that women will
be unable to run for elective office or vote;

Whereas,
on March 28, 2011, president of the general committee for the election of
municipal council members ‘Abd al-Rahman Dahmash stated, We are not
prepared for the participation of women in the municipal elections
now.;

Whereas
the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud Al Faisal, stated in an
interview after the 2005 election that he assumed women would be allowed to
vote in future elections, and that this would benefit the election process
because women were “more sensible voters than men”;

Whereas,
on June 6, 2011, the Majlis Al-Shura Consultative Council adopted a resolution
recommending that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Rural and Municipal
Affairs take the necessary measures to include female voters in future
municipal elections;

Whereas
the decision by the Government of Saudi Arabia to continue to disenfranchise
women in the September 2011 municipal elections is inconsistent with a series
of commitments made by the Government of Saudi Arabia;

Whereas,
in January 2003, Saudi Arabia proposed to the League of Arab States the
“Covenant for Arab Reform,” resulting in the adoption of the “Tunis
Declaration” at the May 2004 Arab Summit, which declared, among other things, a
“firm determination” to “pursue reform and modernization” by “widening women’s
participation in the political, economic, social, cultural and educational
fields”;

Whereas
these declarations were reaffirmed at the Arab Summit in Algiers on March 23,
2005, and at the Riyadh Summit held in Saudi Arabia on March 28, 2007;

Whereas,
in April 2009, Saudi Arabia ratified the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which
states in article 24(3), “Every citizen has the right… to stand for election or
choose his representatives in free and impartial elections, in conditions of
equality among all citizens that guarantee the free expression of his
will.”;

Whereas,
on June 10, 2009, the Government of Saudi Arabia accepted the majority of the
recommendations put forward by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s
Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review including to “[a]bolish all
legislation, measures and practices that discriminate against women… In
particular, to abolish legislation and practices which prevent women from
participating fully in society on an equal basis with men,” and to “end the
strict system of male guardianship and give full legal identity to Saudi
women”;

Whereas
the Government of Saudi Arabia has indicated that it is supportive of the human
rights of women;

Whereas,
in November 2010, Saudi Arabia was elected to the Executive Board of UN Women,
emphasizing the commitment of the Government of Saudi Arabia to the rights of
women;

Whereas
‘Abd al-Rahman Dahmash, the president of the general committee for the election
of municipal council members, has stated that Saudi women will be granted the
right to vote in the next municipal elections scheduled to be held in 2015;
and

Whereas,
while the United States Government acknowledges the deep cultural and religious
traditions and sentiments within Saudi society, without the right to vote on
par with men, women in Saudi Arabia are denied not only a fundamental human
right but also the ability to contribute fully to the economic development,
modernization, and prosperity of their own country: Now, therefore, be
it

That the Senate—

(1)

calls on the
Government of Saudi Arabia to allow women to participate, both as voters and
candidates for elective office, in the September 2011 elections;

(2)

supports the women
of Saudi Arabia as they endeavor to exercise their human rights; and

(3)

believes that it
is in the interest of Saudi Arabia and all nations to permit women to run for
office and vote in all elections.

That the Senate—

(1)

urges the Government of
Saudi Arabia to allow women to fully participate, both as voters and candidates
for elective office, in the September 2011 elections;

(2)

supports the women of
Saudi Arabia as they endeavor to exercise their human rights and participate
equally in society; and

(3)

believes that it is in
the interest of Saudi Arabia and all nations to permit women to run for office,
receive civic education, and vote in all elections.